Q Can you charge an electric car from a normal plug socket?

Yes, you can charge an EV via a normal plug socket but whilst it may be convenient, it’s not generally recommended. Charging an electric car at home using a 3-pin plug will be much slower than a dedicated home EV charger. A 3-pin plug socket will charge at around 2.3kW, while a typical home chargepoint provides 7kW of power – meaning it can recharge your car three times quicker.

There are potential safety concerns around using a normal plug socket to charge an EV, too, as it may not have the capacity to handle the load required.